Measures

ESCAP and UN Women co-chair the Asia-Pacific Regional Coordination Mechanism Thematic Working Group on Gender Equality and Empowerment of Women (TWG-GEEW), which has formally integrated the Secretary-General’s UNiTE Campaign into the development and implementation of its regional interagency workplan. Under the auspices of the TWG-GEEW, ESCAP and UN Women co-organized the Regional Commemoration for the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women under the umbrella of UNiTE and #HearMeToo on 23 November 2018. The Ted-talk style event named E.Quality Talks: My Story of Ending Violence against Women, involved survivors of violence, survivor advocates, women’s movements representatives and women’s human rights defenders. Hearing directly from those who have endured violence, fought against it, or helped to prevent it happening to others added credibility, and helped put ‘a human face’ on facts and statistics that can provoke the public to take action. Feedback for the event was unanimously positive from both storytellers and listeners.

The event was attended by the diplomatic community, civil society organizations and UN staff. At the Regional Commemoration, the #DontTellMeHowToDress exhibition, which is a Thai version of the #MeToo movement, was launched at the UN compound. The exhibition displayed the clothing victims wore at the time of the assault to challenge the misconception around sexual violence. 

From this year's experience, the UNITE Worknig Group learnt that it is very important to provide those who are not usually heard with an opportunity to speak, and platforms to share their messages. 

The United Nations Regional Centre for Peace and Disarmament in Asia and the Pacific (UNRCPD) initiated a region-wide project on the issue of women, disarmament, non-proliferation and arms control. UNRCPD conducted two sub-regional workshops on gun violence and illicit small-arms trafficking from a gender perspective, for Southeast Asia in July and for South Asia in September, respectively. 

The United Nations Regional Centre for Peace, Disarmament and Development in Latin America and the Caribbean (UNLIREC) organized a technical workshop on ATT Evaluation of Transfers and Reports for Guatemala. The training covered risk assessment under the ATT, which requires that States assess the risk that the conventional arms, ammunition or parts and components being transferred are being used to commit or facilitate serious acts of gender-based violence or serious acts of violence against women and children. UNLIREC also carried out a Gender & ATT Table Top Exercise in San Salvador aimed at assisting the State in understanding the obligations under the ATT and providing practical insights into the ATT´s risk assessment methodology, emphasizing the importance of gender-based criteria. UNLIREC organized a training course on Firearms and Ammunition Evidence Management, which underlined the gendered aspects of small arms and highlighted the links between armed violence and gender-based violence.

The High Representative for Disarmament Affairs, Izumi Nakamitsu, become an International Gender Champion and as such, committed to raise global awareness about the gendered impact of weapons, from small arms and light weapons to weapons of mass destruction.

The High Representative for Disarmament Affairs, Izumi Nakamitsu, published an op-ed on the relationship between gender equality and gun violence against women and girls

The United Nations Regional Centre for Peace and Disarmament in Asia and the Pacific (UNRCPD) also presented at a regional workshop on Enhancing the Women, Peace and Security Agenda in Northeast Asia, which aimed to address global linkages and synergies between disarmament and Women, Peace and Security efforts, as well as gender aspects and approaches in regional disarmament initiatives.

Following the Sixth Biennial Meeting of States on small arms and light weapons in all its aspects, ODA revised the Programme of Action national reporting template to include for the first time two questions regarding gender considerations in the implementation of the Programme of Action, allowing. Reports are publicly available on the ODA website.

The United Nations Regional Centre for Peace, Disarmament and Development in Latin America and the Caribbean (UNLIREC) launched a project on measuring illicit trafficking and community security through participatory SDG 16-based indicators and conducted capacity building sessions on the indicators, one of which is violence against women at the community level.

The United Nations Regional Centre for Peace, Disarmament and Development in Latin America and the Caribbean (UNLIREC) published a study on the criminal use of ammunition and trafficking based on data collected from crime scenes in the Dominican Republic and Peru. The study discussed gender aspects, such as ammunition used in gender-specific crimes, gender of victims of crimes involving ammunition, gender roles in the trafficking of ammunition, and the inclusion of women in criminal investigations involving ammunition. 

ODA promoted the Modular Small-arms-control Implementation Compendium (MOSAIC) module on “Women, men and the gendered nature of small arms and light weapons”. 

At the Third United Nations Conference to Review Progress Made in the Implementation of the Programme of Action, States agreed on progressive language on gender in the outcome document, including, for the first time, the recognition that eradicating the illicit trade in small arms and light weapons is a key part of combating gender-based violence.  UNODA provided substantive secretariat support to the Review Conference, including regional consultations. Additionally, the United Nations Regional Centre for Peace and Disarmament in Asia and the Pacific (UNRCPD) held a dedicated session on a gendered approach to the UN Programme of Action (PoA) on Small Arms and Light Weapons at a regional preparatory meeting the for the Third Review Conference on the PoA. 

As the Global CCCM Cluster lead agency for natural disasters, and in line with the objectives of the global Call to Action, IOM is working to ensure that proper prevention and mitigation measures are in place to reduce the likelihood of GBV taking place in camps and camp-like settings in crises .  At the global level, IOM continues to mainstream GBV prevention and mitigation through a range of activities, including the deployment of RRAs. In 2017, IOM deployed RRA to 15 emergency operations to support the GBV mainstreaming activities in humanitarian crisis. RRAs ensured the integration of GBV considerations into programmatic and cluster responses. RRAs have also looked at longer term capacities to pursue efforts in-country, encouraging the appointment of GBV focal points in emergency response teams, and supporting the recruitment of dedicated staff to coordinate GBV mainstreaming activities in countries facing high GBV risks - including in Nigeria, South-Sudan and Bangladesh. IOM also undertook safety mapping and audits in conflict settings to help identify and address immediate GBV risks in conflict settings. The organization adopted programmes based on these findings, for example, it designed and implemented a project for the provision of fuel efficient stoves in South Sudan.

IOM also works to fight impunity, facilitate access to justice and promote accountability. IOM advocates the inclusion of sexual crimes committed against women and girls during conflicts into large-scale victims’ reparations programmes and policies. The organization is currently expanding support on access to care and justice for conflict-related sexual violence survivors in Sri Lanka and Central African Republic.

CRSV: During the reporting period, the Departments of Peacekeeping Operations and Field Support (DPKO-DFS) rolled-out the Integrated Training Materials on Conflict-Related Sexual Violence (ITM-CRSV) for newly deployed Military, Police and Civilian Focal Points who are responsible for CRSV mainstreaming and mandate implementation. These Integrated Training Materials (ITM) will strengthen the response of peacekeepers to CRSV, with particular emphasis on the protection of women and girls, within the frameworks of Women, Peace, and Security, Human Rights, Rule of Law, Protection of Civilians, and Child Protection.

The Departments of Peacekeeping and Field Supports (DPKO/DFS), the Department of Political Affairs, the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights(OHCHR) and the Office of my Special Representative for Sexual Violence in Conflict (OSRSG-SVC) have developed the first Policy on the Prevention and Response to CRSV by UN Peace Operations with an aim to ensure that the forthcoming policy is a useful reference in support of the effective delivery by complex UN peace operations of their CRSV mandate. 


DPKO-DFS is leading the drafting, through consultation with UN peace operations, Member States, key departments and divisions of the UN Secretariat, UN Agencies, and other relevant partners, the Handbook on the Prevention and Response to CRSV by UN Peace Operations which will be co-signed by DPKO-DSF, DPA, OHCHR and OSRSG-SVC. The handbook aims, inter alia, at translating the forthcoming DPKO-DFS Policy on Prevention and Response to CRSV into day-to-day operations and activities; assisting Senior Mission Leadership, Women’s Protection Advisers and civilian, police and military components in UN peace operations in leveraging resources within and outside the mission; better utilizing the unique, comparative advantage of respective mission components and other partners in enhancing prevention and response to CRSV; and strengthen the synergy and complementarity with the implementation of the other key mandates and strategic priorities of respective missions. 


Senior Women’s Protection Advisers implemented a significant number of CRSV capacity-building activities with key partners, including national security forces as well as parties to the conflict. The United Nations Stabilization Mission in Mali(MINUSMA) engagement with the Coordination des Mouvements de l’Azawad (CMA) culminated in the signing of a Unilateral Communique on preventing and combatting CRSV supported by a plan of action drafted by CRSV focal points. In South Sudan, although little to no progress was achieved by both parties to the conflict to implement the commitments made to address CRSV in 2014, following the outbreak of the conflict in July 2016, the Joint Technical Working Group, the joint UN- government mechanism set up in 2015 to oversee the implementation of the Joint Communique, resumed its activities after the 2016 outbreak of violence and with the support of the United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS), is currently assisting the Government with the validation of the final implementation plan of the Joint Communique. In the Democratic Republic of Congo, MONUSCO supported the Government to prosecute two emblematic cases of conflict-related sexual violence in 2017. Firstly, a colonel of the FARDC was convicted for the war crimes of rape and pillage affecting 150 civilians in Musenyi, South Kivu; secondly, a Member of Parliament in South Kivu was convicted for his role in the abduction and rape of 39 children in Kavumu as a crime against humanity. 


The Department of Peacekeeping Operations is also developing the capability to include Female Engagement Teams in community patrols, so peacekeepers can better interact with all of the local population to target our assistance to help protect the community from conflict- related sexual violence. 

Justice and Corrections Support:
- In the Central African Republic (CAR), MINUSCA supports the Special Criminal Court, a national court composed of both national and international magistrates, to investigate and prosecute atrocity crimes. The operationalization of the Court reached a new milestone this year with the appointment of nine of the 11 international and national magistrates, including the international Special Prosecutor and the Deputy Prosecutor. A witness protection strategy has also been adopted. In a further effort to reduce the threat of spoilers and armed groups, MINUSCA is supporting the investigation and prosecution of serious crimes, including SGBV, by other national courts. As a result, to date, 73 high profile individuals from various armed groups are being prosecuted for crimes including war crimes, rebellion and conspiracy, 61 of whom have been detained and are awaiting trial. 


- In the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), MONUSCO established Prosecution Support Cells to support military justice authorities to investigate and prosecute members of the Forces Armées de la République Démocratique du Congo (FARDC) and armed groups for serious crimes committed against civilians, including crimes of sexual violence. This initiative, which has included joint projects with UNDP, the European Union and other partners, has resulted in the conviction of 832 perpetrators, including 22 command level officers, in the eastern DRC where courts scarcely function or exist. 


- In Darfur, with UNAMID assistance, the Office of the Special Prosecutor has tripled its capacity to 16 prosecutors, resulting in increased prosecutions and convictions of serious crimes committed by members of armed groups, including crimes of sexual violence. 

1. WHO participates in the Joint UN Programme on Essential services for women subject to violence . Specifically WHO has contributed its guidelines and tools for the health component of this initiative and led on the health component during the multi-agency regional and global workshops on the initiative. 2. WHO implements UNiTE activities for the 16 Days of Activism 3. In humanitarian settings, WHO is strengthening its work on gender-based violence in emergencies with a focus on strengthening the integration of GBV in the work of the health cluster. It has contributed to the plan of action and partners meeting of the GBV AoR and the Call to Action to end Violence in Emergencies and has supported the roll out of the IASC Guidelines. WHO is also a member of UNAction-

In Ukraine and Cambodia, OHCHR and UN Women helped the Government to develop a Strategy to prevent and address gender based violence and conflict-related sexual violence.
In Honduras, OHCHR supported the implementation of a State-CSO mechanism developed for monitoring the advances of the investigation of crimes of femicide, also providing technical assistance on the drafting of the regulations of such Commission and briefing the institutions that conform it, on the contents of the Latin American Protocol For the Investigation of Femicide.
In Mexico, OHCHR’s technical cooperation focused on the incorporation of human rights and gender perspective in Protocols on investigation of cases of gender-related killings and gender based violence crimes.  OHCHR also provided technical support for the evaluation and monitoring of the Early Warning Systems for Gender Based Violence implemented at Federal and State level.  
In Guatemala,  OHCHR worked on the development of a public policy to protect human rights defenders